Cover Story Current Issue

Despite intensive drug development efforts and public health initiatives, obesity is increasing in incidence and predicted to affect over 50% of all adults worldwide by 2035. Being chronically overweight increases the risk of serious disease co-morbidities that, in turn, increase mortality and healthcare costs. Behavioral approaches to combat obesity, such as diet and exercise, rarely produce lasting weight loss commonly due to compensatory hyperphagia and hypometabolism. These limitations have stimulated interest in pharmacotherapies that target gut-derived peptide hormones involved in the regulation of energy homeostasis, such as PYY, GIP, CCK, and GLP-1. These peptides are secreted by different enteroendocrine cells distributed throughout the intestine in response to food intake, subsequently enhancing satiation signaling and ultimately promotes meal termination. However, a major challenge of FDA-approved and experimental weight-loss medications that target GI-derived satiation signals is the frequent occurrence of nausea and vomiting.

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Current Issue

Extracellular vesicles carrying surface-anchored adiponectin prevent obesity-related metabolic complications by enhancing insulin sensitivity

Alexia Blandin, Margot Voisin, Josy Froger, Maëlle Lachat, ... Soazig Le Lay

 

Adiponectin (Adpn) is a potent insulin-sensitizing adipokine with therapeutic promise for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Its clinical use is limited by challenges in producing stable, bioactive high-molecular weight forms. Adipocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) naturally carry oligomeric Adpn on their surface, enhancing hormone stability and activity. Here, we engineered EVs displaying membrane-anchored Adpn (EVPP-Adpn) and control EVs lacking Adpn (EVCTL), and evaluated their metabolic effects in high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity mice.

EVPP-Adpn were purified from HEK293T cells stably transfected with a chimeric Adpn fused to a transmembrane domain and a pilot peptide (PP) directing it to EVs ; EVCTL were produced from non-transfected cells. HFD-fed male and female mice received intraperitoneal EV injections for six weeks.

EVPP-Adpn improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, promoted adipocyte lipid storage through insulin-regulated lipogenesis and alleviated MASH features (liver steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis). EVPP-Adpn lowered circulating ceramides and reduced FGF21, indicating improved hepatic metabolism, and activated AKT and AMPK pathways in liver and skeletal muscle, consistent with increased adiponectin signaling.

These results demonstrate that surface-anchored Adpn EVs restore tissue-specific insulin signaling and improve obesity-related metabolic dysfunctions, highlighting their potential as a novel biotherapeutic strategy for T2D and MASH.

 

Articles in Press

Extracellular vesicles carrying surface-anchored adiponectin prevent obesity-related metabolic complications by enhancing insulin sensitivity

Alexia Blandin, Margot Voisin, Josy Froger, Maëlle Lachat, ... Soazig Le Lay

 

Adiponectin (Adpn) is a potent insulin-sensitizing adipokine with therapeutic promise for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Its clinical use is limited by challenges in producing stable, bioactive high-molecular weight forms. Adipocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) naturally carry oligomeric Adpn on their surface, enhancing hormone stability and activity. Here, we engineered EVs displaying membrane-anchored Adpn (EVPP-Adpn) and control EVs lacking Adpn (EVCTL), and evaluated their metabolic effects in high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity mice.

EVPP-Adpn were purified from HEK293T cells stably transfected with a chimeric Adpn fused to a transmembrane domain and a pilot peptide (PP) directing it to EVs ; EVCTL were produced from non-transfected cells. HFD-fed male and female mice received intraperitoneal EV injections for six weeks.

EVPP-Adpn improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, promoted adipocyte lipid storage through insulin-regulated lipogenesis and alleviated MASH features (liver steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis). EVPP-Adpn lowered circulating ceramides and reduced FGF21, indicating improved hepatic metabolism, and activated AKT and AMPK pathways in liver and skeletal muscle, consistent with increased adiponectin signaling.

These results demonstrate that surface-anchored Adpn EVs restore tissue-specific insulin signaling and improve obesity-related metabolic dysfunctions, highlighting their potential as a novel biotherapeutic strategy for T2D and MASH.

 

SAVE THE DATE!

13th
Helmholtz Diabetes Conference 
Munich, 21-23. Sep 2026                                                                                                                             

2024 impact factor: 6.6

You are what you eat

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